4things of Dad’s I found on the farm,” Loren says. “He “The first Minneapolis-Moline items I collected were^5
had two 4- by 5-foot Scotch Brite Book Implement signs that were never used at the dealership. I also found Min-
neapolis-Moline memorabilia he had tucked away.”
Off to a Special start
On the heels of preserving those initial MM items, Lo-
ren decided to restore his father’s UB Special, which had been housed in a farm shed for at least 20 years. The
MM UB was only manufactured in 1955. In Moline Farm Tractors, Chester Peterson and Rod Beemer Minneapolis-
wrote that, “The ‘Special’ designation reflected a design
change in the grille and radiator to allow for the option of power steering. At this time the Model B tractors also
introduced interchangeable front-wheel equipment de-
signed with a key lock configuration that allowed any of the front axles, U, E or N, to be mounted to these
tractors.”
giving customers a choice of using tractor fuel, gasoline The MM Specials were fitted with a 283C-4 engine,
or LP gas. Running on tractor fuel, the Special was said to be capable of generating 37 hp at the drawbar; with
gasoline, 48 hp; and on LP gas, 44.
- Three of Loren’s
five Universal D
tractors, each likely built in 1920. - A fine original
neon dealership sign at Loren’s museum.
“Visitors tell me they could spend all day
in my museum,”
Loren says. “Much of the memorabilia
includes items
they’ve never seen before.” - Loren and his
Minneapolis-Moline Jet Star pulling an
MM 760 baler. - his Universal D Loren put
through its paces during plowing
demonstrations in
Humboldt, S.D., in 2013. - This handsome
UB Special is the first Minneapolis-
Moline tractor Loren
restored. He and his wife, Ruth, have
displayed it in many places over the years,
including on their
farm near Nevada, Iowa. All photos
courtesy Loren Book.